Biometric specimens are unique biological information about a certain person. Biometric Self-capture (BioSc) is a process in which a willing individual (Subject) enables acquisition (Capture) of eligible personal biometric specimens:
For all of certain beneficial purposes,
Using all of certain facilitating acquisition methodology,
Using all of certain facilitating acquisition circumstances, to
Produce specimens of certain authenticity, quality and longevity.
Biometric specimens found eligible or made eligible for BioSc reduce their cost-of-acquisition, increase their authenticity, thus acquire unique added value and utility for society and business. Eligibility of a biometric specimen for BioSc is achieved by meeting all of the following listed purposes, by using all the listed acquisition methodology in all the listed circumstances, to achieve sufficient documented specimen authenticity, quality, and longevity.
Beneficial Purposes:
Other than law-enforcement purposes.
Other than medical diagnostic purposes.
Such as (exemplary) identification or background screening purposes.
Methodology for facilitating the acquisition of BioSc specimens includes:
1. Capture that occurs only by the Subject's own physical effort.
2. Capture that does not require another's touching of the Subject's body or garments.
3. Capture that does not require use of electronic or high value technological apparatus.
4. Capture that produces multiple specimens of quality sufficient for their purpose.
Circumstances under which BioSc specimens are acquired include:                1. All steps of Capture are always observed by a registered trusted observer present (RTO).        2. All specimens are collected by the RTO, establishing a credible chain of custody.        3. Capture and observation can occur in public as well as private locations without violating social privacy and religious norms adhered-to by the Subject.        
BioSc specimens Captured under the conditions listed above produces:
1. Specimens of sufficient quality for their intended purpose.
2. Specimens that endure fifteen years of room temperature storage.
Biometric specimens found or made eligible for self-capture are specimens that meet the purposes, methodology, circumstances, and quality criteria. Examples include fingerprints, palm prints, tooth bite impressions, cheek-swab DNA, saliva, scent, hair, any written list of direct linear measurements, hand-sketches, worded descriptions, descriptive locations of tattoos, piercings, and other unique body observables such as missing appendages. Bodily fluids Captured for forensic purposes are eligible if privacy and religious norms allow an RTO to witness production of the specimens, and if the specimens can be preserved as specified.
in an embodiment, biometric specimens found ineligible for self-capture under the present invention are those that are excluded for failure to meet the methodology or purpose criteria. Specifically excluded are those specimens that exclusively require use of electronic or advanced equipment for Capture, or those that are Captured for medical evaluation or diagnosis or law enforcement. Advanced equipment is any Capture mechanism that utilizes electronic or photographic apparatus such as a sound recorder or a camera. Specifically excluded are those specimens whose purpose for Capture is for medical diagnosis such as bodily fluids and tissues, gait, neural reflexes, smell, and blood perfusion time. Also specifically excluded are specimens whose purpose for capture is in connection with an arrest booking or criminal charges. A hair sample would be eligible for BioSc if Capture is witnessed for the purpose of detecting recent use of illegal substances pursuant to employment eligibility. A hair sample would be ineligible for BioSc if Captured for the medical purpose of determining a course of treatment for addiction to illegal substances or for determining violation of parole. Thus, the eligibility of a specimen for BioSc is determined by the actual purpose at hand, not by the variety of possible purposes imaginable.
For economic and quality assurance reasons, efficient and cost-effective methods to identify, track and submit BioSc Captured specimens to agencies are desirable. Digital representation of BioSc Captured specimens is necessary for efficiently linking stored specimen data to submitted specimen data. A system is needed to protect specimens and their derived or accompanying data from theft or abuse. A system is needed that provides confidence in the authentication process. A system is needed that provides an electronic or physical chain of custody for the BioSc Captured specimens.
The present invention addresses the above-described problems by providing a fast, efficient, accurate, and automatic method of capturing biometric self capture specimens and recording, coordinating, validating and transmitting biometric self-capture data therefrom.